HOW  THE  ASSOCIATION  CAME 


TO  FOOCHOW 


National  Board 

Young  Womens  Christian  Associations  of  the  United  States 
600  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York  City 
1914 


How  the  Association  Came  to  Foochow 


Geographical 

For  those  as  yet  unacquainted  with  the  geography  of  the  nation  which 
holds  the  foremost  place  in  the  world  toda3%  it  may  be  stated  that  Foochow 
is  on  the  eastern  coast  of  China  midway  between  Shanghai  and  Hongkong. 
It  is  the  capital  of  Fukien  Province,  a territory  isolated  from  the  other 
provinces  by  ranges  of  mountains  to  the  northwest  and  south.  Its  coast 
line  is  rugged  and  broken  with  many  islands. 


Physical  Conditions 

Foochow  is  in  the  latitude  of  southern  Florida.  Its  climate  includes  a 
beautiful  fall,  and  early  winter;  a cold,  rainy  January  and  February;  a short 
and  delightful  spring,  and  a long,  hot  summer.  The  thermometer  is  never 
low  but  the  cold  is  damp  and  penetrating.  During  the  hot  season  calling  is 
undesirable  from  the  standpoint  of  the  secretary  and  of  the  Chinese.  The 
natural  scenery  of  Foochow  is  of  the  most  beautiful  in  China,  with  semi- 
tropic vegetation  and  fields  that  yield  three  crops  in  one  year.  Foochow  is 
divided  into  two  distinct  sections,  the  old  city  and  the  island.  These  are 
connected  by  a suburb  reaching  from  the  wall  of  the  city  to  the  bridge  of 
“Ten  Thousand  Ages”  which  joins  the  island  to  the  mainland.  The  city  is 
walled.  The  suburb  is  one  long  street  with  shops  on  either  hand,  while  the 
island  is  the  home  of  the  larger  number  of  foreigners  and  several  large 
mission  schools. 


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Historical 

It  was  during  the  visit  of  the  national  secretary  of  the  Young  Men’s 
Christian  Association  that  a request  came  from  the  young  women  at  the 
Girls’  Boarding  School  at  Foochow  to  be  organized  into  a society  as  the  boys’ 
school  had  been,  and  so  in  1899  the  first  student  branch  in  the  Foochow 
Methodist  Girls’  Boarding  School  came  into  existence. 

In  1907  the  national  secretary  of  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Associa- 
tion of  China  was  invited  to  Foochow  to  conduct  a series  of  evangelistic 
meetings  in  this  Association.  The  meetings  were  concluded  and  an  Asso- 
ciation had  been  organized,  a day’s  journey  inland. 

It  was  midnight  and  the  national  secretary  was  returning  to  Shanghai. 
Miss  Bonafield,  a member  of  the  National  Committee  of  China,  and  the 
secretary  were  seated  on  the  ancient  bunding  along  the  river  waiting  for 
the  usually  belated  steamer  tender.  The  lapping  of  the  water  against  the 
fern-grown  masonry  broke  the  quiet  of  the  moonlit  night.  Within  that  hour 
was  given  to  those  women  faith  to  believe  that  there  might  be  held  in  China 
a conference  for  women  students.  And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  through  the 
efforts  of  Miss  Bonafield  the  conference  was  planned.  It  was  to  be  held  at 
Kuliang,  in  the  mountains,  ten  miles  east  of  Foochow. 

First  Conference 

As  guests  at  the  first  conference  there  were  four  young  women  from  the 
region  of  the  Yangtse  River,  that  great  stream  which  is  the  pulse  of  the 
commercial  life  of  Central  China.  It  is  of  interest  to  know  that  their 
attendance  was  met  with  apprehension  because  of  the  fear  that  these  young 
women  might  bring  revolutionary  ideas  to  the  students  of  Foochow.  West- 
erners feared  the  spread  of  radical  national  consciousness  which  even  then 


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was  making  itself  felt  in  China.  The  appeal  made  by  these  young  women 
from  Central  China,  by  their  Christ-like  modesty  and  spiritual  power,  led  one 
of  the  ladies  who  met  them  socially  to  inquire : “Where  do  you  keep  your 

dynamite?”  This  was  in  1907.  It  was  in  1911  that  a group  of  earnest  and 

overzealous  young  women  of  Foochow  were  the  subject  of  anxious  prayers 
and  petitions  in  Shanghai ! They  had  come  with  the  avowed  purpose  of 
being  bomb  throwers  in  the  revolutionary  army!  The  authority  of  the 

church,  the  pleadings  of  friends,  at  first  availed  nothing.  It  was  in  the 

Shanghai  city  Association  that  the  ringleaders  of  this  group  of  enthusiasts 
met  those  who  finally  dissuaded  them  from  their  purpose  and  who  aided 
the  young  women  to  return  to  Foochow  and  to  their  parents.  A patriotism 
of  so  terribly  earnest  and  mistaken  form  startles  the  West  but  it  is  none 
the  less  real. 

Pioneering 

It  was  in  1907,  also,  that  a journey  was  taken  by  the  secretary  of  China, 
in  a sedan  chair,  for  two  hundred  miles  from  Foochow  inland,  through  the 
“Switzerland  of  China,”  Fukien  Province.  The  purpose  of  the  trip  was 
to  ascertain  whether  it  was  feasible  to  establish  a traveling  secretary  for  the 
province.  The  journey  was  made  to  such  places  as  the  city  of  Ngu  Cheng, 
on  its  crumbling  granite  peninsula  by  the  sea;  to  Hinghua,  shut  in  by  its 
tremendous  city  wall,  a city  even  yet  disturbed  by  the  revolutionary  wave 
which  ran  so  high  in  this  section  of  China;  and  on  to  Tehwa  in  the  fastnesses 
of  the  mountains  where  the  zealous  members  of  this  tiny  student  branch  with 
their  narrow  horizon  and  limited  resources  have  set  an  example  to  all  the 
Association  work  in  China.  This  Association  has  disbanded  because  the 
school  is  now  discontinued.  Their  “world’s  penny”  or  “world’s  nickel,”  as 


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Up  Mountains  and  Down  Valleys 


we  call  it,  was  just  double  the  amount  decided  upon  by  the  National  Com- 
mittee as  the  apportionment  for  China.  It  was  a group  of  girls  from  this 
school  who  obtained  the  first  Helen  Gould  Bibles.  Their  strongest  work 
was  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  the  villages  around  about.  The  hardships 
of  this  journey  showed  conclusively  the  unwisdom  of  asking  for  a traveling 
secretary  for  the  province.  It  included  not  only  the  journey  by  chair  but 
thousands  of  stone  steps  up  mountains  and  down  steep  valleys,  across 
uncertain  bridges  and  through  uninhabited  mountain  wastes.  It  also  meant 
sleeping  in  inns  and  shooting  dangerous  rapids. 


Conference 

The  days  of  the  first  student  conference  were  full  of  unusual  events. 
In  the  start  the  coolies  who  carried  the  chairs  left  blithely  with  the  Chinese 
young  women.  The  foreign  chaperon  of  the  party  because  of  her  extra 
weight  was  left  without  bearers,  and  she  reached  the  mountains  a long  time 
after  the  delegates  had  arrived.  The  entertainment  for  the  conference  was 
provided  by  three  Chinese  ladies  of  means.  They  planned  the  meals,  sent 
a man  to  the  city  ten  miles  away  for  fresh  food,  providing  an  afternoon 
luncheon  of  tea  and  boiled  sweet  potatoes.  Several  missionary  friends 
opened  their  summer  bungalows  for  the  residence  of  the  delegates. 

The  conference  meetings  were  not  unlike  the  conferences  we  know.  There 
were  Bible  study,  mission  study  and  prayer  hours.  From  the  first,  the 
Chinese  young  women  were  made  responsible  for  as  much  of  the  service  as 
they  could  carry.  The  Chinese  young  women  conducted  the  quiet  talks  in 
the  afternoon.  A committee  of  delegates  had  sole  responsibility  for  the 
music.  Solos  were  sung  by  a Chinese  young  woman  who  is  now  studying 


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music  in  the  United  States.  Recreation  was  planned  for  but  frustrated  many 
times  by  rains  which  in  no  way  dampened  the  spirit  of  the  conference. 

The  results  formed  a presage  of  what  has  occurred  at  each  of  the  four 
conferences  that  have  since  been  held.  The  students  felt  not  only  a deep 
interest  in  the  winning  of  Chinese  for  Christ  but  their  interest  deepened 
in  purposefulness  for  service.  This  association  of  Chinese  young  women, 
free  to  discuss  their  own  problems  and  their  opportunities  for  Christian 
service,  is  invaluable. 

Miss  Dobbins 

In  1908  Miss  Ethel  Dobbins,  who  had  for  years  been  the  efficient  secretary 
at  Illinois  University,  was  sent  to  Foochow,  but  owing  to  unfortunate  physi- 
cal disability,  Miss  Dobbins,  after  a heroic  battle  to  regain  her  strength, 
was  forced  to  return  to  America.  In  this  little  time  Miss  Dobbins  had 
formed  helpful  and  hopeful  relationships  with  missionaries  and  Chinese. 

Student  Life  in  Foochow 

The  Christian  Girls’  Schools  are  among  the  oldest  in  China.  Three  of 
them  stand  out  as  especially  important.  The  Church  Missionary  Society  Girls’ 
School  (English)  is  the  largest  girls’  school  in  China.  The  American  Metho- 
dist Girls’  School  is  in  two  departments  : The  Girls’  Boarding  School  and 
The  Woman’s  College,  each  of  which  has  a student  branch  of  the  Young 
Women’s  Christian  Association.  These  two  schools  are  on  the  island. 

At  Ponasang,  where  the  secretaries  of  the  Association  reside,  is  the 
splendid  Girls’  School  of  the  American  Board  of  Missions  (Congregational). 
Besides  these  there  are  other  Christian  schools,  notable  among  which  is  the 


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On  the  Island 


C.  M.  S.  Girls'  School 


The  City  Beyond 


high-class  Girls’  School  of  the  Zenana  Mission  (English),  The  Girls’  School 
for  the  Blind  and  a large  school  for  girls  of  non-Christian  parentage 
(English). 

The  Government  Girls’  Schools  are  largely  within  the  old  city.  There 
are  also  many  private  schools.  The  Government  has  industrial,  normal  and 
high  schools.  Some  of  the  students  are  boarders  but  most  of  them  day 
pupils.  Occasionally  one  school  visits  another,  or  is  allowed  to  go  in  a 
body  to  attend  some  notable  public  gathering.  For  the  most  part  the  interests 
of  the  students  remain  either  in  their  own  homes  or  are  centered  about  a 
few  friends,  possibly  a teacher.  The  esprit  de  corps  and  school  spirit  are 
very  little  developed.  The  Association  work,  reaching  into  several  schools, 
will  be  a basis  upon  which  young  women  may  be  brought  into  fellowship, 
giving  some  of  the  helpful  stimuli  which  makes  for  so  much  in  Western 
college  life.  It  will  afford  to  students  a conversational  topic  that  will  take 
them  beyond  the  confines  of  their  environment  and  text-books.  The  Chinese 
woman’s  mind  when  once  awakened  is  apt  to  look  below  the  surface  to  find 
the  underlying  purpose  in  that  which  interests  them. 

The  women  students  in  Foochow  today  may  be  characterized  by  two 
words — “freedom”  and  “restlessness.”  Foochow  was  the  first  city  in  the 
nation  to  accord  publicly  to  girl  students  the  privilege  of  walking  upon  the 
streets  without  molestation.  The  men  of  Foochow  have  conceded  to  its 
educated  women  this  right,  which  is  yet  to  come  to  the  women  in  all  the 
cities  except  the  ports. 

Delay 

The  hopes  and  promises  raised  by  Miss  Dobbins  made  the  community 
more  eager  than  ever  for  a secretary  and  repeated  inquiries  were  sent  to 


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Off  for  a Call  through  Crowded  Streets 


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national  headquarters  as  to  her  successor.  It  seemed  impossible  to  secure  one. 
Canton  organized  itself.  The  national  committee  was  obliged  to  send  a 
secretary  there  while  Foochow  waited.  The  young  women  of  the  Girls’ 
School  had  grown  to  greater  strength.  The  Woman’s  College  of  South  China 
was  organized  and  a branch  was  started  in  the  preparatory  department  of 
this  college.  There  are  in  the  Foochow  schools  three  young  women  who 
have  been  educated  in  America,  who  are  teaching  in  the  schools,  and  one 
physician  with  foreign  training.  All  these  have  been  repeatedly  urged  to 
address  public  gatherings  and  all  are  highly  esteemed  by  the  officials  and 
gentry  of  the  city. 

Coincidence 

The  circumstances  which  led  the  China  National  Committee  to  send  secre- 
taries to  Foochow  show  once  again  God’s  leading  in  the  work  in  China.  In 
March,  1913,  Mr.  Sherwood  Eddy  had  been  in  China,  holding  a series  of 
evangelistic  meetings  for  men.  He  was  urged  to  give  one  talk  to  women ; 
over  two  thousand  Chinese  girls  and  women  came  to  the  meetings,  and  five 
hundred  signed  cards  stating  their  desire  to  study  the  Bible.  The  National 
Committee  heard  the  report  of  the  meeting  and  knew  that  extra  workers 
would  be  needed  to  conserve  its  results — they  felt  that  they  could  no  longer 
delay  in  sending  secretaries  to  Foochow.  A special  meeting  of  the  Committee 
was  called  and  it  was  decided  to  offer  to  send  Miss  Helen  Crane,  of  Bryn 
Mawr,  who  has  just  arrived  in  China  (designated  for  Shanghai)  to  Foochow 
instead,  and  to  send  Miss  Edith  Wells,  of  Smith  College,  who  had  been  for 
three  years  in  North  China,  to  study  the  situation  and  give  aid  in  the  imme- 
diate crisis.  A letter  to  this  effect  was  sent  to  Foochow. 


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On  the  same  day  that  the  National  Committee  met,  a committee  of 
women  in  Foochow  representing  the  various  nations  met  and  voted  to  send 
an  appeal  to  the  National  Committee  for  at  least  one  Association  secretary. 
The  two  letters  crossed  on  the  way,  and  on  the  receipt  of  a telegram  from 
Foochow  the  two  secretaries  sailed  for  that  city. 

A Valuable  Opportunity  Lost 

On  their  arrival  at  Foochow  the  two  secretaries  were  given  immediate 
opportunity  to  speak  to  students  in  the  six  largest  government  girls’ 
schools  and  in  four  mission  schools  for  girls.  The  Association  work  as 
conducted  in  other  parts  of  China  was  explained  and  women  were  asked  to 
enter  Bible  classes.  A disappointingly  small  proportion  of  the  women  who 
had  signed  cards  for  Bible  study  really  joined  the  Bible  classes.  Of  five 
hundred  men  who  were  actually  in  Bible  classes  after  the  men’s  meeting, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  have  been  received  into  the  Christian  church.  The 
difference  in  results  can  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  Young  Women’s 
Christian  Association  came  to  the  field  after  the  crisis  had  been  reached. 
The  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  had  been  nine  years  on  the  field,  had 
thorough  preparation  for  their  meetings  and  a real  organized  “follow-up 
plan.”  Thus  this  particular  time  of  opportunity  passed,  but  there  remains 
yet  much  that  may  be  accomplished. 

Looking  to  Organization 

An  Advisory  Committee  of  Chinese  and  foreign  ladies  has  been  appointed 
to  act  until  organization  can  be  formally  effected.  Miss  Crane  is  engaged  in 
the  study  of  the  Foochow  language.  Miss  Wells,  who  speaks  the  Mandarin, 


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is  teaching  a class  of  Manchu  women.  There  was  in  Foochow,  as  in  all 
capital  cities  of  China,  a “banner”  of  Manchu  clansmen;  they  were  left  utterly 
without  support  by  the  political  upheaval  and  the  Christian  church  has  been 
their  comforter.  A church  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  Manchus  has  grown  up 
since  the  revolution. 

The  secretaries  are  busy  at  least  three  afternoons  a week  calling  either 
in  schools  or  in  Chinese  homes.  A call  in  China  means  the  expenditure  of 
five  to  ten  times  the  amount  of  time  ihat  it  takes  in  the  United  States,  but  it 
affords  the  only  personal  contact  possible  with  many  Chinese  women. 

Women's  Activities 

There  is  a group  of  married  ladies,  Chinese  and  foreigners,  who  call 
themselves  “The  Mutual  Improvement  Society” ; to  this  select  group  the 
secretaries — Miss  Wells  and  Miss  Crane — have  been  admitted. 

In  South  China,  contrary  to  the  custom  of  the  North,  women  do  very 
much  of  the  heavy  work  out-of-doors.  There  is  a distinctive  class  of  women 
called  “field  women”  whose  headdress  consists  of  three  swords  with  huge 
earrings  four  inches  across.  There  are  women  whose  occupation  is  the 
rowing  of  boats  on  which  passengers,  singly  or  in  groups,  are  transferred 
from  point  to  point.  There  are  women  who  take  their  full  burden  of  work 
in  heavy  industry.  They  carry  merchandise,  while  other  women  may  be 
seen  beating  the  gilded  foil  which  is  pounded  into  thin  sheets  for  idol 
money,  hammering  wrought-iron,  sawing  bone  for  combs,  in  short,  they  are 
found  to  a limited  number  in  almost  every  industry  in  which  men  are 
engaged.  For  these  laboring  women  the  Association  will  probably  be  unable 
to  be  of  service  for  years  to  come.  As  modern  conditions  are  introduced, 
the  industries  now  carried  on  in  the  homes  will  be  segregated  in  factories, 


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“The  Blind  Receive  Their  Sight" 


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some  will  disappear  and  "woman’s  sphere”  will  De  reshaped.  It  is  apparent 
that  with  the  enlisting  of  women  of  leisure  and  young  women  from  the 
government  schools  there  will  come  an  indigenous  movement  for  the  study 
of  evolving  conditions  for  the  uplift  of  their  countrywomen. 

Immediacy 

Miss  Wells’  appointment  to  Foochow  lasts  only  until  her  furlough  in  1915, 
and  for  the  city  of  more  than  a million  at  least  two  other  secretaries  must 
be  sent  immediately  in  order  to  conserve  the  work  already  begun.  The 
crisis  of  the  women  of  government  schools  is  only  one  of  the  many  that  might 
be  cited.  Such  tremendous  opportunities  are  evidencing  themselves  from 
month  to  month  in  the  republic  of  China.  Those  on  the  field  are  imperilled  in 
their  activity  because  of  the  tremendous  pressure  of  the  things  they  must 
leave  undone.  The  two  thousand  students  of  last  year  will  have  become  four 
thousand  before  the  Association  is  fully  ready  to  serve  them.  Chinese 
leaders  must  be  found  to  do  what  they  alone  can  accomplish.  America  must 
do  its  part  in  sending  women  to  Foochow  for  this  work  which  God  has  laid 
upon  the  Association  in  that  city. 


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